University Of Texas At Austin Sued For Removing Confederate Statues

Confederate statues at the University of Texas at Austin were removed. (KEYE via CBS Newspath)

AUSTIN (AP) — The Sons of Confederate Veterans is suing the University of Texas at Austin for removing Confederate statues from its campus.

UT-Austin President Greg Fenves ordered four statues to be removed from campus Sunday, a week after the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The statues were paid for by former UT regent and Confederate veteran George Littlefield in 1920. The lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. Western District Court argues that the school broke its agreement with Littlefield by removing the statues.

A university spokesman says the university’s lawyers carefully considered the relocation of the statues.

The association also sued the university in 2015 over the removal of a statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. A judge ruled against the association and the statue was removed.